Of Late Nights and Insight
by Sylvr
Summary: Zuko/Toph friendship fic. Oneshot. Two people who seem to be entirely different may, in fact, be very much alike


_Of _

L A T E N I G H T S

_and _

I N S I G H T

Zuko couldn't sleep. He'd tried—rest was a precious commodity, far too rare to be wasted, out on the road—but just couldn't manage to drift off. He'd tossed and turned for hours before going to sit before the fire. The dancing flames often soothed him when nothing else could. Even after years as a firebender, his element still fascinated him. He settled into a comfortable seated position, hands outstretched to the heat. And then he noticed that he wasn't alone.

Scant feet away, still as the stone around her, sat the earthbender, Toph. Zuko nearly leaped out of his skin.

"Calm down, Sparky, it's just me." she said amusedly.

"Don't surprise me like that!" Zuko hissed.

"Yeah," she frowned at him, mock-angry, though he didn't realize that, "You might fry my feet."

Zuko's anger immediately evaporated, replaced by shame. "I'm sorry. For burning your feet, I mean. It was an accident."

"I know—I already forgave you, remember? I was just teasing. Besides, I've learned my lesson; you won't be able to so much as singe me ever again. I'm not helpless, you know."

"Yeah," the prince offered a slight, awkward (he still wasn't used to it) smile in reply. "I know that. I've still got bruises to prove it." Then he wondered if he looked stupid, smiling like he was. And then he realized (belatedly) that even if he did, she wouldn't notice.

Blind, remember?

"So what are you doing awake?" she asked idly.

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"I'm standing watch."

"Oh."

They sat in companionable silence for several moments, each enjoying the night in their own way. Toph was idly tapping her foot, 'seeing' everything, and Zuko allowed himself to be trapped in the flames.

Just as he was beginning to drift off, Toph spoke.

"Can I touch your face?" she asked, none of her earlier joking present in her voice.

"What?"

"Can I touch your face?" she repeated, "I want to know what you look like."

That would mean touching hie scar. No one touched it—not since Katara and her disastrous offer of healing. He didn't even touch it. It was repulsive. Toph didn't hate him—if he hadn't known better, he would have said she even liked him—and he didn't want that to end. He'd never had a real friend before.

"It's disgusting." he muttered, ashamed again.

Mutely, she shook her head. Toph stretched out her hands to his face and paused to see if he would pull away. He didn't move, savoring the last moments before she turned away in disgust.

Her fingertips touched his skin.

They explored his features, ghosting from his jawline to his forehead. He shut his eyes as shivers ran up his back. They lingered on his closed right eyelid. Then, inevitably, they crossed over and rested on his scarred left eye. Shoulders taut as a bowstring, he waited. But she didn't pull away; she didn't cry out. Instead, her fingers rubbed gentle circles in the inflamed skin, soothing the ache that never really left him. Slowly he relaxed, allowing the touch, even welcoming it; leaning into it. She steadily smoothed out each wrinkle, until at last the scar no longer hurt. Then she withdrew her hands, and they sat in silence again.

"You know, Sparky, you're really not that bad of a guy," Toph said quietly, elbowing him teasingly in the side.

He just smiled down at her, slightly in awe, knowing she couldn't see it but that she would feel it somehow.

"Thank you."

"You and me, we're a lot alike," she continued. "Nobody really sees past our faces. For you, it's your scar—right off, people know who you are, what you are, what that scar means. Banished Prince Zuko. Me, people see my eyes and think 'poor little helpless blind girl.' But I'm not helpless, and you're a nice guy, deep down. I think that in the same way that my blindness—my _need_ to see _somehow_--taught me to bend better than anyone else, your scar taught you compassion." And she smiled up at him. "You and me are like siblings. Both raised with unfair expectations and prejudice."

"I've always wanted a sister who was actually cool and not psychopathic." Zuko said in reply.

"And I've always wanted a brother."

They sat, just enjoying each other's company, both with vague smiles. Finally, Zuko nudged Toph in the shoulder.

"Go to bed. I'll stand watch."

"Thanks, brother," Toph said, and yawned.

"Anytime, sister."

With two easy gestures, she pulled up her earth tent. She was snoring in mere moments.

For a girl who spent most of her time playing in the dirt, Zuko mused, smiling at the sky, Toph was very insightful.

**A/N: Just a quickie. This isn't a romance, of course—Zuko and Toph always come across as more siblings to me.**

**ATLA isn't mine.**

**Review, please.**

**~Slvrstar**


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